The Price To Pay
by ridingdamon
Summary: Damon and Elena go out feeding together. Damon's problems with Elena's methods grows.


"Hey"

Damon was laying in bed, completely absorbed in his favorite book titled _Gone With The Wind _when he heard the soft little whisper of Elena.

A smile edged across his face as he turned to see her standing in the doorway, her yellow dress flowing down to her knees as she shot him a smile. His heart didn't beat, but if it did it would be racing right about now.

If it were anyone else he probably wouldn't have batted an eye.

"Hey there" Damon replied motioning her to come in but she didn't move. She shook her head. "What are you doing?" he continued, raising an eyebrow.

Elena bit her lip, taking in the beautiful sight infront of her that was Damon in his boxers. The boxers that she bought him. She stumbled into their bedroom, but steering clear of the bed.

"I'm hungry" she groaned, putting on a pouty face and crossing her arms.

Damon couldn't help but laugh. "I'll start dinner" he suggested, pulling himself off the bed and getting ready to make his way to the door before Elena stopped him in his tracks, her hand on his bare chest.

"No," she whispered, tracing her fingers on his chest, her eyes slowly making their way back to his face "I'm _hungry_, Damon" she said again.

Every so often they would say fuck you to blood bags and go out for a real meal together. But Damon just wasn't in the mood.

He shook his head and reached his hand up to where hers was on his chest and sandwiched her hand between both of his, pulling her backwards with him as he sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her with him.

Damon brought his wrist up to his mouth, his fangs making a short appearence as he nipped at his skin, drawing blood and holding it to Elena.

"As tempting as it is," she spoke up, pushing his blood filled wrist away "I was thinking more of going to The Grill.. It's practically an All-You-Can-Eat buffet"

"Elena.." Damon started, his voice uneasy. Elena quickly put her finger over his lips, stopping him. "Damon, I want a full meal not a salad.. I mean even you can understand that"

Foot in mouth. Elena caught sight of the sour look on Damon's face and put on a pout of her own, pressing a soft kiss to his lips and caressing his stubbled cheek before pulling away and getting off the bed. "I'm sorry. I'll just go by myself" she huffed.

Behind her she heard a sigh, almost as if a bull was getting ready to attack. Elena tried to fight back the smirk that was now resting on her face before she faced him again. "Fine. I'm coming" he finally gave in as he walked over to his dresser and pulled on a pair of pants and a t-shirt.

Her smirk grew into a full smile as she held out her hand, hoping he would take it. Much to her satisfaction, as sappy as it was Damon never passed it up. His hand slid into hers and their fingers interlocked.

When they got to the front door Damon stopped and pulled her back. The sudden jerk of Elena's body took her by surprise when she found herself locked in Damon's arms.

A loud gasp escaped her lips. "What are you doing?" she giggled.

Damon pressed a small kiss to the back of her neck and let out a small breath of air against her smooth skin, Elena quivering under his touch. "Nothing.." he replied innocently, unlocking his arms and releasing her. Elena bumped him playfully before opening the door and walking out together.

They sat at their usual spot at the bar. Elena's back leaning against the counter, scouting the place and Damon facing the bar and downing any and all drinks given to him. "So what do you think?" Elena asked, breaking the silence between them. "Asian fusion. Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?"

"You go ahead," he told her. Damon never approached his prey, they approached him.

Elena's eyes landed on a guy at the pool table, he was alone. "Gentleman, start your engines.." she whispered before hopping off the stool and making her way to the pool area.

_Try not to look like you're about to kill him _Elena thought.

When she approached the table, she acted as if she was just a normal teenage girl who had a high school crush on the guy playing pool. He made his shot and looked up to see Elena watching him. He smiled, "You wanna play?"

She was in.

She was leaning over the table when he finally acknowledged her. Elena nodded her head, still not saying anything. She walked over and took the cue stick, put it down on the table and aimed for anything she could hit.

"I'm Tom" he spoke up again, twirling the cue stick in his hands. She didn't reply.

Elena was a pro at pool, but if she was gonna pull this off she had to bring her game down.

She clumsily made her shot, hitting nothing and doing almost everything wrong. Tom let out a low laugh "You're doing it wrong". He pulled himself off the wall he was leaning on and came closer to Elena.

Damn, she was good at this. "I'm so bad at this" she sighed, looking back up at him. "Teach me?"

A look of surprise crossed Tom's face, as if he didn't know what she just said. He walked around behind her, placing his hands on top of hers and the cue stick and leaning over the table. "Elena.." she finally said in a girlish tone

"What?"

"That's my name"

Tom smiled.

Damon was watching them from the bar, his jealousy level hitting the roof. He never liked watching Elena lure in her prey. Especially when they touched her like that. Why was he touching her like that? "Just eat him already" Damon growled.

Elena looked up from her game when her vamp hearing picked up Damon's voice. She tried not to let it distract her.

That was the difference between Damon and Elena, she never got jealous, not visibly anyway.

As he sucked down another shot of bourbon, a woman sat down next to him in the seat Elena had formerly claimed. She was tall, blonde and gorgeous. "I'll have what he's having" she told the bartender, looking over at Damon eerily.

"You alright buddy?" she asked. Damon turned to her, his mood was shot and he just wanted a drink. He wasn't one to waste time, but than again they were in a crowded room so he couldn't just eat her right there.

"I'm fine," Damon replied. He looked down at her empty shot glass, "Another?" he pointed to it. The girl looked down and then back at Damon. "Uh, sure!"

"I'm Andie" she smiled. Damon smirked, "Damon. Drink up" he told her, taking another shot of his own.

After a couple of drinks and some small talk, Damon need waste no more time. "You wanna get out of here?" he asked her in a low and somewhat seductive tone, breaking the silence between them once more.

She nodded, grabbing her purse off the table and standing up, Damon following her. As they made their way out the door Damon shot a glance at Elena, but she was already watching him. A quick nod between the two and everything was good.

Damon had told her his car was around back. Once they got to a less open area Damon pushed Andie up against the wall, quickly compelling her to not move or scream. He pressed his lips to her neck softly, planting small kisses before extracting his fangs and piercing the flesh. His hands tangled through her hair as he pulled her closer, his fangs sinking deeper. As the blood drained from her body Damon felt more powerful. The life of this woman was literally in his hands and he never got enough of that feeling. He let go, watching her lifeless body collapse on the ground. No heartbeat. Oops.

He wiped his mouth of any and all evidence and walked back inside The Grill. Elena was no longer at the pool table, neither was Tom. He scoured the room but she was nowhere to be found. His vamp hearing picked up noises from the bathroom, it was Elena. Shit.

He stood outside the bathroom door for a minute, his anger getting the best of him as he kicked in the door to find Elena seated on top of the sink and drinking from Tom. He must have put her up there before she compelled him. Elena jumped at the noise and before she knew it, Damon snapped his neck.

"Damon!" Elena screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"We're going home" was all he said. He turned around to leave but Elena grabbed onto him before he could walk out the door. Damon whoosed Elena up against the wall, his forearm around her neck. "I said, we're going home" he told her again, his voice cold. Elena nodded as he released her.

* * *

The front door opened and Elena walked in first, heading for the stairs, Damon not too far behind her. She took one step up the stairs before she turned back around to face Damon, he was leaning against the door, staring at her.

She threw her hands up in the air. "Okay, let's have it" bringing them back down and crossing her arms.

He pulled himself away from the door and towards her. "Why?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"Why do you insist on feeding the way you do, Elena?"

Elena cupped her face in her hands, taking a deep breath before letting her hands drop again. "You mean why do I act like a normal teenage girl rather than the vampire I am and say 'Oh hi, yeah, I'm a vampire and I'm going to eat you now'?"

Here we go.

Elena was tired of fighting. She was tired of having the same argument every time they came home from feeding.

As they went back and forth at each other, Elena had enough. She turned around and walked up the stairs, Damon following.

They entered their bedroom and Elena closed the door behind them, her back falling against it.

A pounding in her head, she refused to listen any longer. "Okay STOP!" she screamed.

Damon stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as the hurt in her voice shined through.

"I don't think you understand, Elena.." his voice low now. Elena shook her head letting out a huff and walked towards him, shoving him onto the bed with all the strength she had gained tonight.

She got on top of him and quickly shushed him, placing her index finger over his lips before he could say anything else.

"No, you don't understand. What I do to lure in my prey, what I do to feed, means nothing. Yes I may flirt with them for five minutes but it. means. nothing." She stressed the last few words, hoping it got through to him. "I love _you. _Okay? You. I flirt with them to rip open their necks. I flirt with you to show you that I love you. There's a big difference. I will never stop loving you or telling you how much I do. They're not the ones I wake up to every morning, or make love to, or cook dinner with, or cuddle infront of the fireplace with. Last time I checked that was you. No wait, maybe it was the mailman." Damon cocked an eyebrow. Elena smirked, "Just making sure you were listening. Now stop being a dick."

She finished her rant and inhaled sharply, getting back all the breath she had just lost. Elena's words baffled him completely.

Her index finger still placed on his lips, Damon reached his hand up to grab hers, instead flipping her over on the bed. Did she forget he fed too? That he had all that strength too?

Elena gasped as she found herself on her back and Damon staring down at her. "Shouldn't let your guard down like that" he told her, raising his eyebrows.

"Is it my fault that I thought you wanted to hold hands?" she shot back.

Damon nodded. "Kinda, yeah."

Elena shook her head, a breathy laugh escaping her. "So, you gonna let me go or?"

"Nah, I think I'll keep you like this for a while" he replied with a smile.

Seeing Damon smile brought a smile to Elena's face as well. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you more" he countered.


End file.
